The effects of acute and chronic ethanol administration and withdrawal on the rate of glucose utilization in brain were studied using the 2-deoxy-glucose technique developed by Sokoloff. Increases in glucose uptake were observed in the brains of rats undergoing an overt ethanol withdrawal syndrome. The brain regions showing the most apparent alterations were sensorimotor cortex, globus pallidus, thalamus and cerebellum. The results suggest that there are changes in central nervous system metabolism accompanying the withdrawal syndrome which are associated with functionally distinct regions of both sensory and motor brain structures. Densitometric analysis of the autoradiographs is in progress.